Certain downhole operations involve placement of articles in a downhole environment, where the article performs its function, and is then removed. For example, articles such as ball/ball seat assemblies and fracture (frac) plugs are downhole articles used to seal off lower zones in a borehole in order to carry out a hydraulic fracturing process (also referred to in the art as “fracking”) to break up reservoir rock. After the fracking operation, the ball/ball seat or plugs are then removed to allow fluid flow to or from the fractured rock.
To facilitate removal, such articles may be formed of a material that reacts with a downhole fluid so that they need not be physically removed by, for example, a mechanical operation, but may instead corrode or disintegrate under downhole conditions. However, because operations such as fracking may not be undertaken for days or months after the borehole is drilled, such tools may have to be immersed in downhole fluids for extended periods of time before the fracking operation begins. Therefore, it is desirable to have downhole articles such as ball seats and frac plugs that are inert to the downhole environment or have controlled corrosion during that period of time, and which then can rapidly disintegrate after the tool function is complete.